Why Hosted Telephony should be a core part of your business technology roadmap

Ways of working are changing. Today, the ability to make and receive calls from anywhere and at any time is vital for businesses. And, as we navigate 2021, the last twelve months can only serve to remind us that future proofing businesses and ensuring communication regardless of circumstance need to become and remain critical components of any business strategy.

With many companies continuing to operate on traditional telephony models, now is the time to reconsider the solutions you currently have in place. Are your employees connected and contactable wherever you need to be? Are you paying a fixed monthly fee for your service or can costs vary significantly month to month?

If the answer is no, or you are finding too many challenges with your existing traditional system, it is time to consider hosted telephony.

Here’s why it should be front and centre of your business technology roadmap in 2021 and beyond…

Security and reliability
Hosted telephony uses cloud technology which removes the need for costly physical hardware on-site and analogue or ISDN telephone lines from phone providers; instead, a business phone system is hosted remotely and connected via the Internet. The intelligence and set up of your system lies within secure data centres that are designed to be reliable and secure meaning the risk and management of your telephony solution is removed from within your premises, and stored safely in the cloud.

Scalability
The remote location is known as a Hosted PBX (Private Branch Exchange) and can be accessed through your internet circuit. It provides a flexible, reliable and efficient way to manage your communications and once it is installed, can be easily managed, meaning you can easily add or remove as many people as you need to whilst your business grows – whether at one particular site or another.

Flexibility
A traditional phone system involves the system being based on your premises and connecting directly to an ISDN line from a provider. For all incoming calls, each member of staff typically requires a deskphone. With hosted telephony however, the call can be received on a deskphone, softphone or mobile application, meaning calls can be accessed wherever and whenever they need to be. This also allows businesses to look at the wider communications strategy of the company as a whole, rather than on individual sites and locations – and particularly poignant as remote working continues to rise in need and popularity.

Control your costs
With hosted or cloud telephony, you are more empowered with controlling costs, there are no hidden charges. Whereas with a traditional phone line or PBX setup you may have to pay for expansion, upgrades, maintenance and respective administration, not only are software upgrades automatic but the only hardware you need to invest in is the handset or device itself. The cost of the telephony services itself is based on a pay per-month per user model, meaning the cost of the service is stable.

Ensure business continuity
Experiencing downtime in a customer driven business can cost thousands if not rectified quickly, particularly if customers cannot get hold of you at time of need. Hosted telephony allows you to set up your system in such a way that if something were to go wrong, you can automatically manage and handle the scenario effectively. For example, when the UK was put into national lockdown back in March 2020, businesses with hosted telephony capabilities were quickly able to redirect office numbers to employees now working from home.

As you look to prepare or enhance your business toolkit, don’t forget that communications giant BT is switching off all ISDN communications in 2025 which will impact services related to PBX systems.

That makes hosted telephony, which only needs an internet connection to function, an incredibly viable and sensible choice for your communication system today and for the future ahead.

If your business is considering hosted telephony, or you are interested to learn if it is the right fit for you, please contact one of our team for more information, request a call back today, or dial 0800 123000.